Press Releases
Udall, Heinrich Voice Concerns about Plan to Reduce Hours at U.S. Post Offices in New Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe to express their concerns about the Postal Service's multi-year "Post Plan" to reduce costs and streamline operations, which may impact over 140 post offices in New Mexico. USPS announced the Post Plan in 2012 in response to financial challenges it was facing at the time, which included declining revenues and mail volume. The Post Plan cuts operating c… Continue Reading
August 04, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Receive Response from MSHA about Missed Inspections at WIPP
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced the Department of Labor has responded to their March request for an explanation detailing why the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) failed to conduct legally required regular safety inspections at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The senators asked for the information after an investigation into a February truck fire at WIPP revealed that MSHA had done only two inspections during the three years before th… Continue Reading
July 31, 2014
Udall: VA Reform Bill will Improve Care for New Mexico Veterans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate in approving a bipartisan measure to reform veterans' care and begin to restore accountability and transparency at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in New Mexico and across the country. The bill, which passed by a vote of 91-3, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week. It now goes to the president, who is expected to sign it into law. The bill will address barriers that have led to long wait times for… Continue Reading
July 31, 2014
Udall Statement on Senate's Failure to Advance Funding to Address the Humanitarian Crisis at the Border
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after Republicans blocked a final vote on emergency supplemental funding to address the Central American immigration crisis: "We face a humanitarian crisis at the border involving young children, and regardless of how each of us feels about whether they should be returned home or granted asylum, we have a responsibility to provide them with clean, humane housing while we make that determination. Ultimately, I believe the … Continue Reading
July 31, 2014
Udall: Passage of Highway Funding Bill Supports New Mexico Jobs, but Long-term Fix Needed
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate in voting 81-13 to pass the Highway and Transportation and Funding Act of 2014, which supports thousands of construction jobs in New Mexico, and prevents an immediate cut to an estimated $350 million in funding for construction projects on roads, bridges and transit systems across the state. The bill guarantees funding to continue work on these important improvement and maintenance projects is available through May 31, 2015. Udall issu… Continue Reading
July 30, 2014
Udall Disappointed in Filibuster of Bill to Protect New Mexico Jobs
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after Republicans blocked the Bring Jobs Home Act, which he supported to protect and create jobs in New Mexico and across the nation by offering incentives for companies that insource jobs and eliminating a tax loophole that benefits companies moving offshore: "Today, we had an opportunity to do right by workers in New Mexico and across the country by moving forward on legislation to help build up communities and create j… Continue Reading
July 29, 2014
Udall Joins Senate in Passing Extension of Highway Funding for New Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following statement after joining the Senate in voting 79-18 to extend critical highway funding for construction on roads and bridges in New Mexico and across the country through Dec. 20, 2014. "This is a bill that matters to every New Mexican - extending highway funding is critical to sustain hundreds of jobs in our state and to ensure that transportat… Continue Reading
July 29, 2014
Udall Supports Confirmation of New VA Secretary, Urges Approval of Bipartisan VA Reform Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate in voting unanimously to confirm Robert McDonald, a West Point graduate and former Procter & Gamble CEO, as the new secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The position was vacated in May when former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned in the wake of the veterans' scheduling scandal that has impacted the Albuquerque VA. Udall recently met with McDonald to discuss the immediate need for changes within the VA so it can … Continue Reading
July 29, 2014
Udall Urges Chevron's Support for Questa Mine Employees and Community
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall wrote to Chevron's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John S. Watson, urging the company to support the employees and community of Questa as Chevron closes its molybdenum mine. Mining operations have sustained the local economy in the Village of Questa for generations, and the mine's unexpected closure - which affects more than 300 employees - raises concerns about the community's future economic stability. Udall pressed Chevron to offer assistance an… Continue Reading
July 25, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Request Restored Border Crossing Hours for Export Vehicles at Santa Teresa Port of Entry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich sent a letter to the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., Eduardo Medina Mora, asking him to work with the Mexican Federal Customs Agency to restore crossing hours for export vehicles at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. Earlier this month, the Mexican Federal Customs Agency dramatically reduced the hours of operation for processing vehicles being exported from the U.S. to Mexico, creating a traffic backup along New Mexico's highways that generat… Continue Reading
July 24, 2014
Udall, Heinrich, Pearce to Host Energy Secretary in Carlsbad for Discussion about WIPP
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce announced that U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will visit Carlsbad, N.M., on Aug. 12 for a discussion about the ongoing recovery at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Last month, the lawmakers invited Moniz to visit to get an update on cleanup efforts and to talk with workers and local officials about WIPP's importance to the community and to our national defense, as the only deep geo… Continue Reading
July 23, 2014
Udall Speaks out for Workers Affected by Mine Closure in Questa, N.M., Urges Support for Bill to Create Jobs
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall pledged his support for workers in Questa, N.M., who will be impacted by Chevron's decision to close its molybdenum mine, which has employed hundreds of New Mexicans for many years. Udall visited with workers in Questa on Sunday and has been leading efforts to get Trade Adjustment Assistance and other help to enable the community rebuild its economy after the mine closes. In his speech, Udall said he is working to do all he can to support new jobs in Ne… Continue Reading
July 23, 2014
Udall Urges New Law to Crack Down on Secret Money in Elections
WASHINGTON - As the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United continues to allow corporations and other groups to spend unchecked secret money to influence elections, U.S. Senator Tom Udall spoke out in favor of a new law to require such organizations to disclose their spending and major sources of funding in a timely manner. During a hearing of the Senate Rules Committee on the DISCLOSE Act, which would turn back the effects of Citizens United, Udall said new laws are needed to return c… Continue Reading
July 23, 2014
Udall Statement on Report that U.S. Military's Burn Pits May have Broken Federal Law
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall responded to a new report that the U.S. military's use of open-air burn pits at Shindand Air Base in Afghanistan may have violated federal law. According to the report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), made public today, most of the solid waste at Shindand Air Base was disposed of for years in open burn pits rather than incinerators. Despite the potential health hazards, burn pits remained in use even after open bu… Continue Reading
July 21, 2014
In Speech, Udall Recognizes Tularosa Basin Downwinders, Urges Expansion of Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
WASHINGTON - In recognition of the anniversary of the first atomic bomb explosion at the Trinity test site in the Tularosa Basin, U.S. Senator Tom Udall delivered a speech on the Senate floor honoring "downwinders" affected by the July 16, 1945, test and urging his colleagues to amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to provide justice for those who were made sick from radiation exposure. Many Americans were unknowingly exposed to dangerous levels of radiation as the U.S. governmen… Continue Reading
July 21, 2014
Doing Right By Our Veterans
We make a solemn promise to our veterans: after they serve our country, they get the best care we can provide. From Las Vegas to Las Cruces, many veterans have valued their care from the Department of Veterans Affairs for decades. VA doctors and nurses often have some of the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any health care providers in the nation. And I've been proud to help increase resources for the VA in New Mexico, including VA clinics in Raton, Artesia, and Santa Fe. I'm angered by … Continue Reading
July 18, 2014
#ShowcaseNM - Photo Contest
New Mexico is one of the most beautiful states in the country, filled with diverse landscapes from mountains and forests to desert peaks and ancient rock formations, which tell the story of our history and culture. Not only do New Mexicans enjoy taking photos of our great scenery in all four corners, we like sharing them too. That's why I'm on the lookout for great photos of New Mexico to feature on my website and social media channels. If you have captured a great picture, please share it with … Continue Reading
July 17, 2014
Udall Meets VA Secretary Nominee McDonald to Discuss Troubled N.M. VA Hospital, Rural Veterans' Care
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall met with the nominee to replace former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who resigned in May in the wake of the veterans' scheduling scandal that has impacted the Albuquerque VA. Nominee Robert McDonald, a West Point graduate, is the former Procter & Gamble CEO. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/senatortomudall/sets/72157645735207561/ Udall issued the following statement after their meeting: "New Me… Continue Reading
July 16, 2014
Udall Stands up for New Mexico Women's Access to Health Care
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall expressed his disappointment after Republicans blocked debate on a bill to restore women's access to contraceptive health care in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 split decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The court ruled that closely held corporations may deny coverage for certain forms of birth control if members of the board object on religious grounds. The filibuster of the Not My Boss's Business Act, which Udall cosponsored, prevented the Se… Continue Reading
July 15, 2014
Udall Praises Confirmation of N.M.'s Norman C. Bay to Lead Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate in voting to confirm Norman C. Bay, a former University of New Mexico law professor and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, as a commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Bay has served as the Director of the Office of Enforcement at FERC since 2009 and is slated to be named chairman of the commission. Udall issued the following statement after the confirmation vote: "Norman Bay is a dedicated public s… Continue Reading
